Tilt-up concrete form brace

ABSTRACT

A brace for use in tilt-up construction is disclosed. The brace includes a bottom surface and a vertical side surface. The bottom surface of the brace is affixed to a permanent horizontal surface (e.g., a slab) in a manner that allows the brace to be removed without damaging the permanent horizontal surface. The vertical side surface of the brace is attached to a concrete pour form. The bottom surface of the brace is affixed to the permanent horizontal surface using an adhesive. Alternatively, a shoe is attached to the permanent horizontal surface and the brace sits in the shoe.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] (Not Applicable)

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

[0002] (Not Applicable)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention is directed generally toward a brace or bracket which is utilized in the formation of walls for tilt-up concrete building structures and more particularly to a preformed, molded brace, preferably plastic, which is utilized to support a concrete wall form at a desired position upon a previously poured concrete slab floor.

[0004] Many industrial/commercial structures are formed using a tilt-up concrete wall construction technique. As shown in FIG. 1, in this type of construction technique, a concrete slab flooring 10 is poured on a site and allowed to cure. Subsequently, the slab floor 10 is used as a platform to enable the side walls 12 to be poured in a horizontal orientation on top of the concrete slab flooring 10. After curing, the side walls are tilted upward in a perpendicular orientation to the slab floor and affixed together to form the vertical side walls of the structure. In forming the side walls, it is conventional that concrete forms 14 such as 2×4's and/or 2×6's and/or 2×8's are positioned on the top of the previously formed concrete slab 10 to define a perimeter area wherein a concrete pour is made within the form and on top of the concrete slab. In setting up the form work 14 upon the slab 10, it is conventional to utilize a metal or wood L-shaped bracket 18, the lower surface of which is directly abutted into the concrete slab 10 and the vertical surface of which may be used to be attached to the form work 14 and hold the form work in a generally perpendicular orientation to the slab.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 3,609,935 issued to D. L. Thomas Oct. 5, 1971 discloses a permanent form 14 for pre-cast tilt-up concrete modules. The brackets 16 or corner pieces include plural nail openings through which nails are driven into the slab 10. U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,882 issued to Case et al. on Nov. 7, 1978 discloses a method and apparatus for erecting a concrete wall panel which utilizes a pre-cast insert in the wall panel to enable rapid panel pick up. U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,920 issued to Tye on May 25, 1993 discloses a strong back attachment system for concrete panel tilt-up construction.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,205 issued to Herrell on Aug. 16, 1977 discloses a reusable mold element for horizontally forming panels. The particular forming members are maintained in the slab 10 via plural nails. U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,156 issued to Tye on Apr. 11, 1978 discloses an apparatus for bracing a tilt-up wall panel wherein universal panel braces are utilized. The panel braces are affixed to the slab via permanent anchors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,202 issued to Donnels on Oct. 24, 1972 discloses an adjustable brace similar to the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,156 (Tye).

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,948 issued to Harris on Feb. 20, 1996 discloses a tilt-up concrete pad and method of forming and erecting the tilt-up concrete pad which utilizes reusable forms. The brackets 16 utilized in the system appear to be permanently attached via nails to the flooring. U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,265 issued to Kelly et al. on Jul. 13, 1993 discloses a unique apparatus and method for lifting tilt-up wall constructions which is inserted into the concrete pour. U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,831 issued to Baumann on Jan. 28, 1983 discloses a simplified construction system for pre-cast concrete walls wherein the floor, ceiling and side walls are formed upon the slab 10 and subsequently pivoted upward into a final orientation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,106 issued to Navarro on Jul. 13, 1982 discloses a reusable bracket assembly for concrete form which includes brackets 16 that are maintained upon the slab via plural nails. U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,757 issued to Olsen et al. on May 30, 2000 discloses a tilt-up concrete panel and forming system which utilizes a bracket 16 which includes plural apertures for receiving nails therethrough. U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,356 issued to Deutsch et al. on Aug. 1, 1978 discloses a tilt-up panel bracket 16 formed of metal and adapted for power driven fasteners into the slab 10.

[0008] As shown in FIG. 2, the prior art metal or wood brace 16 typically utilizes nails 20 which are driven into the concrete slab flooring 10. In this regard, a contractor typically first drills one or more holes into the slab since a nail 20 cannot typically be driven directly into the slab 10 without breaking or cracking the slab. Thereafter, a nail 20 is inserted into each hole, pounded into the slab 10 and the wooden concrete form 14 is then attached to the opposite side of the bracket 16 to enable a subsequent pouring of the side walls within the interior of the frameworks. After curing of the pour, the brace or bracket 16 is removed from the slab 10 and the forms 14 removed therefrom. In removing the prior art bracket 16 and nails 20 from the slab 10, it is typical that the slab 10 breaks open in the area of the nail 22, thereby requiring subsequent patching of the slab 10, which is visually unpleasing and structurally unsound. Even if the slab is not damaged, patching is required to fill in the nail hole. As such, the prior art bracing and attachment of the bracing to the slab 10 via nails 20 is time consuming, structurally deficient and results in patchwork to the slab which is visually unpleasant.

[0009] Thus, a need exists for a brace which is utilized in the formation of walls for tilt-up concrete building structures wherein removal of the brace will not cause breaks in the previously poured concrete slab floor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In accordance with the present invention, a brace for use in tilt-up construction is disclosed. The brace is triangular in shape and includes a bottom surface and a vertical side surface. The bottom surface of the brace is affixed to a permanent horizontal surface (e.g., a slab) in a manner that allows the brace to be removed without damaging the permanent horizontal surface. The vertical side surface of the brace is attached to a concrete pour form. The concrete pour form can be made of various materials (e.g., wood or metal).

[0011] In accordance with other aspects of the invention, the bottom surface of the brace is affixed to the permanent horizontal surface using an adhesive, such as double-sided tape. Preferably, the bottom surface of the brace also includes holes so that the brace can be affixed to the permanent horizontal surface using nails instead of or in addition to the adhesive. The adhesive may be applied to the brace at the time of manufacture.

[0012] In accordance with yet other aspects of the invention, the vertical side surface is attached to the form using an adhesive. Preferably, the vertical side surface includes holes so that the vertical side surface can be attached to the form using nails instead of or in addition to the adhesive.

[0013] In accordance with still other aspects of the invention, a shoe is attached to the permanent horizontal surface and the brace locks into the shoe. For example, the shoe and the brace are molded in a manner which allows the brace to snap or lock into place. For example, the shoe and the brace may be molded out of a plastic material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] These as well as other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:

[0015]FIG. 1 is an illustration showing prior art tilt-up construction wherein concrete pour forms are nailed to a slab using brackets;

[0016]FIG. 2 is an illustration of a prior art bracket used in the tilt-up construction shown in FIG. 1;

[0017]FIG. 3 is an illustration of a brace for use in tilt-up construction formed in accordance with the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a flange that may be included in various embodiments of the brace of FIG. 3;

[0019]FIG. 5 is a cross section of the flange of FIG. 4;

[0020]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a wedge piece that may be included in various embodiments of the brace of FIG. 3;

[0021]FIG. 7 is a cross section of the wedge piece of FIG. 6;

[0022]FIG. 8 is an illustration of a shoe which can be used to hold the brace shown in FIG. 3;

[0023]FIG. 9 is an alternative embodiment wherein a brace is affixed indirectly to a slab using strips of material; and

[0024]FIG. 10 is an alternative embodiment of an elongated shoe which can be used to hold a plurality of braces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The present invention is a brace or bracket for use in tilt-up construction that does not require the nailing the brace to the slab 10. In exemplary embodiments, such as the one shown in FIG. 3, a triangle-shaped pre-formed brace element 30 is attached to the slab 10 via an adhesive which is applied to the lower surface of the brace 30. The brace element is a preformed, molded brace, preferably, plastic. Preferably, the adhesive (e.g., double-sided tape) is applied at the time of manufacturing of the brace 30, and is covered via a slip sheet which when removed, allows the adhesive to grip the slab 10. Preferably, the brace is constructed so as to be disposable. However, it is possible that the brace may not be damaged during the removal process. Thus, preferably, additional adhesive can be added so that the brace can be reused if desired.

[0026] The vertical side surface of the brace 30 may be connected to a conventional form 14, to enable the form or formwork 14 to be positioned upon the slab 10 and allow the concrete wall pour to occur. Traditionally, the concrete pour forms are constructed of wood, however, it will be appreciated that pour forms can be constructed of other materials, for example, metal. The brace 30 may be secured to the form 14 using an adhesive. Alternatively, the brace can be secured to the form using traditional means, such as nails. In exemplary embodiments (not shown), the brace has holes in the vertical side surface of the brace so that the brace can be easily attached to the form 14 using nails if desired.

[0027] Preferably, the adhesive is sufficient to temporarily position the brace 30 upon the slab 10, yet sufficiently weak that when desired the brace 30 can be quickly removed from the slab 10, for example, by hitting the brace 30 with a hammer. As such, the present invention allows for the rapid placement of the brace 30 upon the slab 10 without the drilling of the slab for nails and without requiring the slab to be patched after removal of the brace. In exemplary embodiments, there are holes on the lower surface of the brace 30 so that the brace can be secured to the slab 10 using nails if desired.

[0028] In exemplary embodiments, the brace 30 includes a flange 32 (shown in FIGS. 3-5) that can be used to batter or angle the form 14 relative to the brace 30. For example, it may be desirable to angle the form so that this side of the wall panel which becomes the top of the wall is angled inward to the building, thus causing rain water to flow to the roof of the building, rather than down the exterior side of the building. The flange 32 is connected to the brace 30 with a connecting member 34 which allows the flange to be positioned between the brace 30 and the form 14 if desired. In alternative exemplary embodiments, the brace 30 includes a wedge piece 36 (such as the one shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) that can be used to take up space between the brace and the form. A wedge piece may be desirable if the form is warped. The wedge piece 36 is connected to the brace 30 in a manner similar to the manner in which the flange 32 is connected to the brace. It will be appreciated that various embodiments do not include a wedge or a flange. It will also be appreciated that in those embodiments that do include a wedge or a flange, it is not necessary that the wedge or flange be utilized.

[0029] Alternative embodiments of the brace are formed with a two-piece construction, i.e., the brace 30 as shown in FIG. 3 and a brace shoe or pad 40 as shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the shoe 40 is provided with the adhesive for attachment to the slab 10 while the brace 30 may be manually inserted and removed from the base or shoe 40. As such, the brace 30 can be reused for multiple applications while the shoe 40 can be made to be disposable. Preferably, the shoe 40 has holes on the lower surface so that the shoe can be nailed to the slab 10 if desired.

[0030]FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment in strips of material 52A, 52B (e.g., wood, metal or plastic) are affixed to the slab 10. Preferably, the strips of material 52A, 52B are affixed to the slab 10 using an adhesive, such as an adhesive tape. However, it will be appreciated that the strips 52A, 52B may be attached to the slab using means other than adhesive, for example nails. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 9, one strip of material 52A is placed next to the form 14. A second strip 52B is placed a distance away from the form in a parallel direction. One or more braces 50 are then affixed to the strips 52A, 52B and the form 14 as desired. In the illustrated embodiment, the brace 50 is attached to the strips 52A, 52B with nails 56 which are inserted through nail flanges 54. In the illustrated embodiment, two nail flanges 54 (one on each side of the brace) are attached to each of two strips of material 52A, 52B. Nail flanges 54 are also used to attach the back of the vertical side surface of the brace 50 to the form 14. In exemplary embodiments, the brace 50 is molded to include the nail flanges in a one-piece construction. In alternate embodiments, the nail flanges are separate pieces molded to attach (for example, by snapping into place) to a separate brace piece.

[0031]FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of the invention which utilizes an elongated shoe 60. Preferably, the elongated shoe 60 is an extruded piece, for example made of plastic. The back of the elongated shoe is affixed to the form 14, for example, using an adhesive or nails. The bottom of the elongated shoe is affixed to the slab 10, for example, using an adhesive, such as double-sided tape or glue. It will be appreciated that the elongated shoe 60 may be attached to the slab 10 using other means, for example, nails, staples. In exemplary embodiments, an adhesive, such as double-sided tape is pre-applied to the elongated shoe. Multiple braces 62 can be inserted into the elongated shoe 60. In exemplary embodiments, such as the one shown in FIG. 10, the braces 62 are snapped into the elongated shoe 60 (extruded piece) and are affixed to the form 14, for example by nailing or stapling.

[0032] Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the particular combination of parts described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only a certain embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as a limitation of alternative devices within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A brace for use in tilt-up construction, the brace comprising: a. a bottom surface which is affixed to a permanent horizontal surface such that the brace provides temporary support but can be removed without marring the permanent horizontal surface; and b. a vertical side surface perpendicularly attached to the bottom surface of the brace, wherein the vertical side surface is affixed to a form which is laying on the permanent horizontal surface.
 2. The brace of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the brace is affixed to the permanent horizontal surface using an adhesive.
 3. The brace of claim 2, wherein the adhesive is double-sided tape.
 4. The brace of claim 2, wherein the vertical surface is attached to the form using the adhesive.
 5. The brace of claim 2, wherein the vertical surface is attached to the form using at least one nail.
 6. The brace of claim 1, wherein a. the bottom surface of the brace is not affixed directly to the permanent horizontal surface; b. wherein a shoe is affixed to the permanent horizontal surface; and c. wherein the brace is attached to the shoe in a manner which is secure yet temporary.
 7. The brace of claim 6, wherein the shoe is attached to the permanent horizontal surface using an adhesive.
 8. The brace of claim 7, wherein the adhesive is double-sided tape.
 9. The brace of claim 6, wherein a plurality of braces are attached to the shoe in a manner which is secure yet temporary.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein a. the bottom surface of the brace is not affixed directly to the permanent horizontal surface; b. wherein at least one strip of material is affixed to the permanent horizontal surface; and c. wherein the brace is attached to the strip(s) of material.
 11. The method of claim 10, a first strip of material placed adjacent the form and a second stip of material is substantially parallel to and is placed a distance from the first strip of material.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the strip(s) of material are affixed to the permanent horizontal surface using an adhesive.
 13. The brace of claim 1, wherein the material used to construct the brace comprises plastic.
 14. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a flange for angling the form relative to the brace.
 15. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a wedge piece for taking up space between the brace and the form.
 16. A shoe for use with a brace in tilt-up construction, the shoe comprising: a. a bottom surface which is affixed to a permanent horizontal surface such that the shoe is capable of holding at least one brace and the shoe can be removed without marring the permanent horizontal surface; and b. wherein the at least one brace is affixed to a form which is laying on the permanent horizontal surface.
 17. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the shoe is affixed to the permanent horizontal surface using an adhesive.
 18. The shoe of claim 17, wherein the adhesive is double-sided tape. 